The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-09-27

SuOulu
length of getting, if possible, active
support to the policy from the Powers.
The late administration. however, did
not have the patience that is such an
essential to statecraft. It became in
fated with its own importance and
dashed into Samoan affairs when they
were in a turmoil from the local con
tentions of national factions Of for
eign merchants, the trouble having
reached the extent Of compelling q
diplomatic conference over it at
Washington. Thus the time selected
was the worst possible for the inter
vention of such a comparatively in
significant nation as Hawaii
The Inauguration of the Hawaiian
policy in Samoa was also untimely
with respect to the state of this King
dom's domestic affairs. There was
the most serious dissatisfaction with
the course Of home politics on the
part of all right-thinking citizens and
residents. The finances were in an
awful stew, from the Ministry hav-
ing, for the second legislative session,
proved impotent to establish any sort
of balance between revenues and ex-
penditure. Money was layishly voted
for not only unproductive works,
which is mad enough for country
going steadily behind, but for eyre
gious follies and positively mis-
chievous purposes. That Ministerial
discretion" which had come to be
one of the factors in Hawaiian fin
ance, was being Systematically EN-
ployed in expending the revenues
upon those items in the appropria
tions which were for the least benefit,
while votes for public services of the
greatest utility We're made to wait
condition of the treasury which could
never. in the nature Of things, be
reached. Even the foreign loan of
two million dollars partially foated
was being manipulated. in spite of
the terms Of the statute, so as to
yield only foolish display instead of
the substantial public improvements
to which its expenditure was limited
by the Legislature. Then there was
the Opium Act, under the operation
of which the nation was scandalized
by a colossal swindle, and through
the means of which a ring Of officials
and quack doctors were enabled to
heap up dishonest dollars. All these
things at home made people think
Hawaii's Government had better give
its own country some semblance Of
decent rule before essaying to ele-
vate the Kingdom of Samoa to
civilized and liberal standard.
As both the time and the circum-
stances for launching the Samoan
scheme were inauspicious, so were
the methods and details of the expe-
dition to Samoa the most iniudicious
that could have been devised. There
is no need of particularizing where
all the facts are fresh in the minds of
readers Suffice it to say that no
element was omitted which could
contribute to the immense and costly
farce that Hawaii has performed in
the Pacific before the eyes of the
world There was but one redeem
ing feature about the whole enter
prise, that being the selection Of an
estimable young man, possessed Of
excellent abilities as a collaborateur of
facts and figures, and withal having
a good general knowledge Of this
country's commercial situation, to be
Secretary of the Legation at Samoa.
When the results of Mr.. Poor's
labors in collecting information re-
garding trade possibilities between
the two countries, together with the
ideas that he has formed from his
observations, are given to the public,
it may be judged whether anything
within the reasonable means of this
country can be done to secure profit
able trade relations with Samoa.
Not only with that group, but, as
advocated heretofore in this paper,
there may be great opportunities
awaiting the merchants of these
Islands to develop trade with other
groups in the Pacific The matter is
one that may be commended to the
consideration of the Reform Govern
ment and Legislature, in the full
confidence that it viii be treated in
businesslike manner. 1t is also
question peculiarly coming within
the cognizance of the Honolulu
Chamber of Commerce.